Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #1)(66)

1 cup cocoa powder

3 cups flour (not sifted)

2 small, 10-oz. jars of maraschino cherries ***

1 pkg. chocolate chips (6 oz. pkg.—2 cups)

? cup condensed sweetened milk



Melt butter and mix in sugar. Let mixture cool and add eggs. Mix it thoroughly and then add baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cocoa, stirring after each addition. Add flour and mix well. (Dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly.)



Drain cherries and remove stems, reserving juice.



Pat dough into walnut-sized balls with your fingers. Place on greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Press down in center with thumb to make a deep indentation. (If the health board’s around, use the bowl of a small spoon!) Place one cherry in each indentation.



In a saucepan over simmering water (double boiler) combine the chocolate chips and the condensed milk. Heat on low until the chips are melted. (You can also do this in the microwave, but you’ll have to keep zapping it to keep it from hardening.)



Add approx. 1/8 cup of the reserved cherry juice and stir to a thick sauce. If sauce is too thick, add more juice in small increments. (Test it with a teaspoon. If it doesn’t glob off, it’s too thick.)



Spoon the sauce over the center of each cookie just enough to cover each cherry. Make sure it doesn’t drip down the sides.



Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling.



Yield: 7 to 8 dozen, depending on cookie size.



A plate of these should be in every psychiatrist’s office—two Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights will lift anyone out of a depression.





Chapter Twenty




Hannah poured two glasses of chilled wine from the green jug in the bottom of her refrigerator and carried them into the living room. Her sister was seated on the couch, still looking rattled, but the color had come back to her cheeks. Moishe was nestled in her arms, and Hannah could hear him purring as Andrea absently stroked his head. Her resident feline was uncanny. He seemed to sense that Andrea was in need of comfort and he was doing his best imitation of a lap cat. Hannah handed one of the glasses to Andrea and said, “Here. Drink this.”

“What is it?” Andrea eyed the stemmed glass suspiciously.

“White wine. Don’t ask about the label. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”

Andrea reached for the glass and expertly sloshed the liquid in a tight circle. “Nice liquor line.” Then she took a small sip. “Light and somewhat fruity with an undertone of oak. It’s not a true Chardonnay, but it’s very interesting. I like it.”

Hannah just smiled and kept her comments to herself. If Andrea knew that the wine had come from the Lake Eden CostMart, and a gallon barely put a dent in a ten dollar bill, she’d decide that it was pure vinegar.

“I think it’s domestic.” Andrea took another sip. “Am I right?”

Hannah decided it was time to switch to another subject. “You were incredible with Bill. I still can’t believe that he isn’t mad at me.”

“Bill can’t stand it when I cry.” Andrea gave a smug smile. “He just falls apart when my lip starts to quiver.”

“And you can quiver on command?”

“Of course.” Andrea’s smile grew wider. “I learned how to quiver right after Mother bought me my first bra. It always works with the guys.”

“You’re amazing,” Hannah said with real admiration. Because of her practice at dealing with doting men, Andrea had managed to avoid the lecture that they’d both deserved.

Hannah had done her best to explain things to Bill. She’d told him that they were so worried about Max, they’d simply had to check on him. And then, when they’d found Max’s Cadillac half-packed for his trip to the Tri-State Buttermakers’ Convention, they’d had no choice but to use his key to search his office at the dairy, the last place that anyone had seen him.

That hadn’t quite done it. Bill had still been upset about the fact that Hannah had led his wife into a potentially dangerous situation. But Hannah had posed a question: Wasn’t it lucky that they’d found Max’s body before the trail had gone cold?

Bill had reluctantly agreed, but he’d laid down some ground rules. The next time Hannah decided to follow up a lead, she should check with him first. Hannah had promised and she’d meant it. Finding two dead bodies was more than enough for one lifetime. But then Bill had started to ask questions about exactly why they hadn’t come out to the accident scene to get him earlier, and Andrea had gone into lip-quivering mode.

One glance at Andrea’s close-to-tears countenance and Bill had melted. He’d hugged Andrea and told her that he’d get a ride to Hannah’s condo so that he could drive her home. And then he’d assured her that he wasn’t angry with her or with Hannah.

“Moishe is a very comforting sort of pet.” Andrea’s fingers strayed toward the sensitive spot behind Moishe’s ear and he purred even louder. “It’s really amazing that he’s so domesticated, considering the kind of life that he used to lead. He’s just sitting here and purring. I never knew that he was so sweet.”